Two Hearts, One Mind
by onegiantdinosaur
Summary: "I know all you listeners have been dying to hear about the second person to leave Vault 101. Well, do I have news for you. Not one, but TWO more people crawled out of the Vault. And twins, no less! I know, I couldn't make this stuff up!" Carter & Korin Autry, James' twin kids, leave the Vault to find their dad. M for language, violence, sexual themes, drug n alcohol use. Enjoy ;3;
1. From Humble Beginnings

A bright light and a gasping breath greeted the child as he awoke into the world. He cried loudly, exercising his new lungs.

"Catherine! We have a boy, a beautiful, baby boy." James beamed with pride. The fruits of his and his wife's years of labor had emerged from the womb.

"James, there's another." A woman nudged the man, and they went to work to help the child out. After about an hour, the man turned, holding another child in his hands. His smile widened. "Twins, Catherine! We have twins! A healthy, beautiful boy and girl."

"Oh James…we did it." A tired sentence escaped from the tired mother. "Twins… ha, didn't… see that coming."

James turned to the two newborns. "I just know you two have bright futures ahead of you. I'm sure of it." The new father couldn't help but smile. He felt his children's tiny fingers, and his son grabbed hold of James' index finger. "My, what a strong little grip you have, son. You'll be so strong when you grow up." He could not stop smiling. "Look here, son! I'm your daddy! Yes! I'm your dad, little sweetheart!" The little boy released his father's finger. James used it to lightly bob his daughter on her adorable little nose. He breathed in deeply and smiled. He was almost glowing with pride. "You're both going to need names… it's lucky your mother and I had thought up lots of choices. How do you feel about Carter, son? And daughter, what do _you_ think about Korin? They're good names, don't you think? They fit you perfectly."

The other woman returned with a screen. James looked back at her, then at his two little bundles of joy. "It looks like they've finished the gene projections. Let's see what you two will look like when you're all grown up!"

The screen lit up to show Carter first. The screen showed a handsome young man with sparkling green eyes and short, side-swept, dark brown hair. His jawline was sharp, and he looked exactly like a younger version of his father. James chuckled. "You're going to look a lot like your dad." He looked at his wife. "See that, Catherine?"

"Oh… very handsome…" the twins' mother sighed between labored breaths.

The screen flashed to a young woman now, whose facial features were much softer than her brothers. She shared the same sparkling green eyes, but her hair, which was shoulder length and had a beautiful curl to it on the right side, was a light, almost platinum blonde. "She looks just like you, Catherine." He turned to the newborn. "You're going to grow up to be just as beautiful as your mother."

"Oh…yes…very…beautiful."

James smiled at his children again. In fact, he had never stopped smiling. "It's a big world out there, you two, full of all sorts of people. I wonder what kind of people you'll grow up to be." James' face softened, and he looked at his two newborn children with a look only a parent could give.

"J-James? Some-something's… something's…" The twin's mother's breathing became irregular and she began to shift uncomfortably in the hospital bed.

"Catherine?" James looked at his wife, his eyes filling with worry. "Catherine!" He repeated her name in a more desperate tone. "She's in cardiac arrest! Start compressions!" James looked back at the other woman. "Get the twins out of here! Move! Move!" he yelled at her. The two infants were carted away. The medical monitors began to beep faster and erratically. James began compressions immediately, counting out loud. "One, one thousand. Two, one thousand." Tears began to fill his eyes. "Come on, Catherine!" How ironic it would be, he thought, to gain two children, only to lose his wife in the process. "Hang on!" He shook the doubt from his mind and continued CPR. "Please, Catherine, don't leave me."

-) : (-

"Don't look straight into the lights, kiddos. It will hurt your eyes…" James sighed, eyeing his two little trouble makers with a loving gaze. "It's just…something you get used to down here." He held out his arms. "Come to daddy, Korin! Walk on over here, sweetheart." He called out to his daughter, who let out an unintelligible gurgle before slowly wobbling over to her father. "My goodness, just a year old and already walking like a pro. He looked over to his son. "Let's see how you do, son. Carter, come here! Walk to daddy!" Carter walked over to another side of the room to pick something up off the floor. James swooped over and picked up the little trouble maker and tickled him. "Oh you little rascal! Daddy's gonna get you!" The little boy let out a giggle. After a few seconds, James put carter down next to Korin and walked out of the play pen. He shut the baby gate behind him. "Your mother would be so proud of you both." He smiled, his eyes misting up a little bit. "Listen, kiddos. I know you don't like it when daddy leaves you alone, but I need you to take care of each other for a minute. You just stay here while daddy runs to his office. You'll be okay, I'll be back in a bit." James left the room, and the automated door closed behind him. Carter stood up and pushed the baby gate open, determined to do a bit of exploring. He went straight to the toy box and climbed inside, grabbing a teddy bear. He proceeded to swing it against the toy box's inner wall. Korin bobbled out of the playpen holding a large, red rubber ball. She tripped and fell onto it, which kept her from falling onto the hard concrete floor.

The door suddenly opened, and James was surprised to find his children outside of the playpen he had left them in. "Hah! Quite the little explorers, you two are. Serves me right for trying to pen you two in." He walked over to a framed bible verse. "Come over here, I want to show you two something."

Both Carter and Korin walked over to where their father stood. "See that? That was your mother's favorite passage." He knelt down next to his children. "It's from the Bible. Revelation, 21:6. 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely.'" James sighed. "She always loved that." He took a deep breath and attempted to fight the sorrow he was certain was showing in his face. "Alright. Come on! Let's go see if your little friend Amata wants to play…" He stood up, and began to walk out the door. The twins followed him out, eagerly.

-) : (-

James ran from the clinic towards the classroom. The school teacher had called him over the vault's intercom; something about one of his kids being in a fight. He knew which one. He stopped in front of the door, took a minute to compose himself, then entered the room. Class had been dismissed, except for Korin, Carter, and Butch DeLoria.

"What's going on?"

"Sorry to bother you, James. Carter and Butch got into a fist fight, and I had to break it up. You can take them home now; I'm sure you'll need to have a discussion with them."

Carter's eye was already beginning to swell, and was a light shade of purple. Butch was covered in blood, and holding some cloth up to his nose. The two boys were staring at each other, angrily. James knelt down in front of his two kids. "Run on home. I need to take Butch down to the clinic and make sure _his nose isn't broken_." The twins hopped up and ran off without looking their father in the eye. "Come along, Butch. We can swing by the clinic, and I'll walk you home after.

Ten stitches and an ice pack later, James walked Butch back to his family's room. "I know you and my kids don't get along very well, but I have an obligation as a doctor to make sure you're alright. Your nose isn't broken, but I you mess with it too much it will start bleeding again. Now, go say hi to your mother for me."

Butch said nothing, but glared at him as he walked into his family room, wearing a clean jumpsuit and holding the bloody one under his arm. _Yikes,_ James thought, _it's no wonder he and Carter hate each other._

He walked home and opened the door. His kids sat waiting for him on the couch, staring at the floor. Korin's eyes were puffy and red, which he hadn't noticed back at the classroom.

"What in the world happened today? You do realize you nearly broke Butch's nose, don't you?"

The twins stayed silent.

"And Korin, you're usually the voice of reason in these situations, yet you've been silent this whole time." She looked away from him as he spoke to her. James sighed. "Come on, guys. What happened?" After a few minutes, Carter looked like he was about to burst.

"Butch…he-he made Korin cry."

James turned towards Korin, then back at Carter. "How?"

"He said - he said she killed Mom!"

"What? He said that?"

Korin nodded, the tears slowly coming back.

James brushed the tears away. "No no no… Korin you did no such thing." He picked her up and sat down next to Carter and hugged her.

"Th-then what happened?" She whimpered.

He took in a deep breath and braced to discuss his least favorite topic – the death of his wife, Catherine. "Well… when we decided we wanted to have kids, it took us a couple of years. We tried and tried. We got close, once, but there was a miscarriage. When we learned your mother was pregnant again, we were so happy. She carried you both for nine months. When it was time, we tried the best we could. But there were complications. After you were born, Korin, your mother had a heart attack. It was not your fault, Korin. I promise." The two kids looked up at him. James realized he was beginning to cry. The twins hugged him tightly. _The radiation… does things to the female reproductive system. Catherine always complained that her… 'cycle' was irregular and it always caused her great pain. We chalked it up to living in the Wasteland. It affected the birthing process, too,_ he thought. He couldn't let the twins know they actually were born in the Wastes, outside the safety and strength of Vault 101's cog-shaped door. He couldn't ruin the safe haven they had.

-) : (-

Carter and Korin walked into the cafeteria, only to be blinded by the lights suddenly flicking on.

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of friendly voices yelled. Carter smiled. He had no idea what his father and the rest of the vault dwellers had planned. Korin smiled, and put on her best surprised look. She had seen some of the signs, and had a hunch this would happen, but she didn't want to upset her father or Amata.

"Stanley you turned the lights on too fast! I think you blinded the poor kids." A masculine voice scolded teasingly. The party goers began to clap and cheer. A wave of birthday congratulations fell on the two. Carter felt a little overwhelmed.

"Can you believe it? They're growing up so fast." An older woman, Mrs. Palmer, sighed happily, marveling at the twins.

"Happy Birthday, kiddos!" Their dad said proudly, hugging them. "I can't believe you're already ten! I'm so proud of you." Korin thought she saw a tear drop from her father's eye. "If only your mother…" James was cut off by the Vault's leader, or Overseer.

"Congratulations, young ones. I don't have to tell you how special this day is, do I?" The twins shook their heads 'no.' "Down here in Vault 101, when you turn ten, well, you're ready to take on your first official Vault responsibilities. So here you are!" The Overseer reached behind his back and pulled out two Pip-Boy 3000's. "As Overseer, I hereby present to you your very own Pip-Boy 3000s! Get used to them." Korin and Carter eagerly took the Pip-Boys from the man, too excited to hear the insincere tone of the last sentence. The twins placed the Pip-Boys on their left wrists and turned them on. The Vault's own radio signal began to play, and some familiar music danced through the speakers.

"You'll be getting your first work assignments tomorrow." The Overseer chuckled before returning to the booth to sit.

"Enjoy your party. You're only ten once, so have fun!" Korin looked over to their father, then to her brother. James wandered out of the room for a bit, and the twins were approached by Amata.

"Happy birthday! We really surprised you two, didn't we?" Amata smiled. "Your dad was afraid you were on to us, but I told him not to worry. You two are easy to fool."

"Yes, holy crap you got us!" Carter said excitedly. "I thought I had died and was walking into the light to the pearly gates of Heaven, never to walk the - Ow!"

"Yes, Amata, you got us good." Korin said, elbowing her brother before he could continue. She smiled. "Great party, Amata! Thank you for doing this for us!"

Amata smiled wide, happy to hear praise for her hard work. "Oh! I got you guys a present… sorry it's just one. I hope you don't mind sharing…" She reached behind her and pulled out a comic book. "Grognak the Barbarian! Issue 14, aaaaand with no missing pages." She handed the comic book to the twins, who both held it gently. "I found it in a box of my dad's old things, believe it or not. Imagine him reading comic books… Well, I guess everyone was ten, once."

Carter beamed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou Amata!" He hugged her. Carter was a big fan of the comic books, much more so than Korin. Korin really just liked to read anything she could get her hands on.

"Thanks so much, Amata!" Korin smiled.

"Well, I had better let you get back to 'mingling' with your guests! We'll talk later, okay? Happy Birthday."

Korin held on to the comic book for the both of them. Paul Hannon walked by, and looked at both of them with a spark of envy in his eyes. "Awh man, you got Pip-Boys? I wish I had a Pip-Boy." The black boy whined.

"Don't worry, Paul, you'll get one soon!" Carter said encouragingly. Carter was desperate to make friends with Paul, even though he hung out with Butch DeLoria and his gang of bullies. Korin had Amata as her best friend, and they both were Carter's friends too, but he wanted to be friends with a boy, too. Korin knew it was a lost cause.

"Uh, hey, uh, thanks for inviting me. Really cool party and everything. I know that, uh Butch and I give you guys a hard time, but you guys don't, uh, take that seriously, right? Anyway, uh, happy birthday and everything. I better get back to, you know…" Paul trailed off as he left to go sit with his friends. Butch accosted him for being nice to the twins. "Oh what, are you guys 'best friends' now? Hey boys, I think Paul's going soft on us!"

The twins tuned out the taunting. Officer Gomez turned to the two kids. "Happy birthday, you two!"

"Thanks!" Their voices echoed as they walked toward the table where Mrs. Palmer sat. The Overseer's voice stopped them.

"I hope you appreciate all the effort Amata put into this party. She really seems to like you both, for some reason."

"You could have helped her decorate _some_." Carter said snidely. Korin stepped on his foot, a little too late to stop his outburst. "Ow."

"I do not allow the fact that Amata is my daughter to compromise my job as Overseer. I gave her all of the appropriate parental encouragement, of course, but I could not contribute extra Vault resources. That is simply what my position requires. No more, no less. I know Amata understands that perfectly well." Korin dragged her socially inept brother away, towards Mrs. Palmer. She smiled as the two of them walked up.

"Are you two having a nice party? Ten years old. My, my, my! It only seems like yesterday when your daddy came…" The old woman cut herself off before either ten year old could catch what she said. "Goodness! Listen to me ramble! You're waiting for your presents, aren't you!" She reached down beside her and pulled out two sweet rolls. "Here you go! A nice couple of sweet rolls I baked for you two just this morning. And they're all for you - no sharing required today!"

"Thank you so much Mrs. Palmer!" Carter said, taking a bite out of the treat.

"It smells delicious, Mrs. Palmer. Thank you!" Korin said politely and quietly. Mrs. Palmer smiled.

"Run along you two. Enjoy the rest of your party."

Korin looked at the roll, then at Butch. Carter was already half-way finished with his pastry, and eyeing Butch, she knew he'd try to take it from her. So she began to eat hers, too.

Just after they finished, the Mr. Handy robot announced it was time to cut the cake.

"No Andy!" Amata yelled, too late. The robot's saw cut into the cake and tore it apart, flinging some icing onto the counter and floor. Korin sighed. _No birthday cake this year._

Carter stifled a laugh. _Oh well! I don't like cake much anyways._

Everyone went back to their discussions, except Butch.

"I'm hungry, and that stupid robot destroyed the cake! Gimme those sweet rolls you got from Old Lady Palmer."

"She said we didn't have to share!" Korin mouthed.

"Yeah!" Carter added.

"I don't care! Gimme the damn sweetrolls!" Butch raised his voice. None of the adults noticed his yelling.

"You know what, Butch, you _do_ look hungry. What, your mom drink up all the food rations again?" Carter asked.

" _What did you just say?!_ " Butch shot up from his seat. Carter jumped in front of Korin as Butch put up his fists and tried to punch him. Before he could do any real damage, Officer Gomez came over and broke up the fight.

"Butch! What do you think you're doing! Leave him alone."

Butch sat down, not wanting to be embarrassed by being scolded in front of everyone in the cafeteria. He grumbled and just stared angrily at the twins. Carter turned to his sister and grinned. "Score one for us." He whispered, and they shared a discreet fist bump. Their dad sat at the counter behind them.

"Is Butch giving you guys a hard time?"

"Nope. We took care of that." Carter said with a smile. James gave his son what could only be described as 'the look.'

Korin stepped up. "Actually, we started it. It's easy to make him mad."

"I'm glad you two can handle him. Once you start letting bullies push you around, you'll never see the end of it." He smiled. "Go on now, I'm sure there's someone else out there with a present for you two!"

As if on cue, Stanley turned towards the twins. "How do you like those Pip-Boys, kids? Fit okay and everything?"

They nodded. Korin smiled. "They're really cool! Did you fix them up for us?"

"As a matter-of-fact I did! I'm glad you like it. Some may think the A series a bit basic, but I've always preferred them for their reliability."

"Thanks, Stanley!" Korin smiled and her brother yawned a little.

"Did you…get us something for our birthday?" He asked, trying to conceal his boredom.

"Oh yes! I almost forgot. Happy birthday! It's not much, but I hope you like them." He handed them two worn, kid-sized baseball caps. Carter looked his over and excitedly put it on. Korin looked it over, and safely stored it away with the comic book. Amata finished scolding her father for not enjoying the party, then turned toward the twins.

'What's Butch's problem, anyway? I can't believe he tried to start a fight with Carter at your own birthday party! Ughhh, what a jerk!"

"The jerk tried to steal our sweet rolls!" Carter exclaimed, annoyed.

"Oh my God! What an ass." Amata said. Korin nodded in agreement. What her father said about bullies earlier was still on her mind.

The twins' father walked up. "That was Jonas on the intercom… He and I have been cooking up a little surprise present. Jonas is waiting for you two down on the Reactor Level. Go ahead, I don't think anyone will mind if you slip out for a few minutes." The twins looked at each other with the widest smiles James had ever seen, before they ran out and down to the Reactor Level. But they were stopped just around the corner by Beatrice.

"Happy birthday, dearies! My goodness, I hope I didn't miss the party!"

The twins stared at her blankly for a moment.

"Oh! I wrote you two a poem, just for the occasion. I hope you like it."

"Thanks….Beatrice…." Carter said, taking the piece of paper from the woman. He folded it up and put it in the front pocket of his jumpsuit. They continued on to the Reactor Level with the same energy as before they were detained.

Jonas stood, waiting for them.

"What are you two doing down here? I thought kids weren't allowed down on the Reactor Level."

"We aren't kids! We're ten years old!" Korin yelled with a smile.

"Yeah, Jonas! Can it!" Carter said mischievously.

"Haha, you sure are! Pip-Boys and everything, look at that!" Jonas smiled at the two kids. "If you two can wait just another minute, I think your dad will want to dish out the presents himself…"

Sure enough, James came walking down the stairs. "Are you ready for the surprise?"

"Yes!" The twins said in unison.

"What kind of surprise?" Asked Korin.

"Well, the Overseer gave you your Pip-Boys, and you're both old enough to do some work, so I figure you're old enough for these…" He pulled a BB gun and a large knife rom behind his back. The knife had a beautiful leather holster, and James had a container of 50 BBs for the gun. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you both a BB gun. You'll have to take turns. Jonas found it, and it took us three months to get it working again. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a spring that small! Good thing Butch 'misplaced' that switchblade of his. Ha ha ha." James handed the gun to Carter, and the knife to Korin. The knife's blade was still shiny, like it had never been used. ' _Not today_ ' was carved into either side of the blade. She loved it.

"What do we get to kill?" Carter asked excitedly, unknowingly pointing the gun at his father.

"Whoa, son." James pointed the barrel of the gun away from himself. "First rule of shooting: Don't point your gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. It's only a BB gun, but it's _not_ a toy."

Carter pointed the gun at the ground, embarrassed.

"Let's go try it out. Jonas and I have found a nice spot for you to practice. Follow me."

Carter followed his dad closely, while Korin stayed further behind to talk to Jonas. "Where did you and dad find this knife, Jonas?"

"We didn't, actually. Your father saved it for you… he said it belonged to your mother."

Korin held the knife close, and made a mental note to thank her father later.

They rounded a corner and passed through a doorway. To the twin's surprise there was a small shooting range, complete with three revolving targets. Carter ran up to the targets and began to aim at them. He missed the first one a couple of times, but by the third time he had the gun down. He shot the last two targets easily.

Korin took the gun from Carter and tried it out, too. She had a harder time, but still managed to hit all three targets. A large bug crept in front of the barricade, and Korin let out a loud gasp.

"Careful! That's a Radroach. Think you can take care of it, sweetie? Just aim and shoot. You'll be fine."

Korin held her breath, and aimed the BB gun at the roach. She shot, and missed. The roach paid no attention to her. She tried again, this time hitting the roach's back. It looked at her and fluttered its wings. She aimed again and this time shot it in the head, killing it. Carter cheered.

"Good work, Korin. That's one less roach to deal with. Let's get a picture together. Capture the moment." James turned towards his assistant. "Hey Jonas! Get a picture of me and the kids."

Korin and Carter stood on either side of their dad.

"Smile!"

The flash nearly blinded the three of them.

-) : (-

"As far as I can tell, you're a perfectly healthy sixteen year old boy. So yes, you _do_ have to go take your G.O.A.T."

"Come on, Dad, do I really have to take it?" Carter whined.

"Yes, you do! It is very important, since it _determines what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life._ Now run along, and go take your test."

Carter walked out of his dad's clinic and over to where Korin was waiting for him. " _Told you_ he wasn't going to buy it."

"It was worth a shot." Carter and Korin began their walk to the classroom. They were due to take their G.O.A.T.s, or Generalized Occupational Aptitude Tests, and Carter was nervous. Everyone knew Korin was slotted for a job in repairs, or somewhere here her intelligence and tinkering skills would be put to good use. Carter had no idea where he was going to fit in. While he had some of his father's intelligence, Korin ended up getting most of it. Carter got his good aim and strength; Korin got their mother's grace and agility.

"I'm so nervous, Carter. This is the biggest, most life-changing moment _of our lives_." Carter let his sister squeeze his hand tightly to relieve some of the anxiety.

"You'll be fine. You've got Dad's brains and Mom's looks…they'll get you anywhere you want to go, _assuming I_ can't be there to help." Korin smiled, and her anxieties eased up a little bit. Having her brother by her side for the rest of her life was both a burden and a gift, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Ugh! Get out of the way, you stupid Tunnel Snakes!"

Korin and Carter shared a worried glance as they realized whose voice it was. They walked around the corner, and sure enough, Butch and his gang were in her way. She needed to get into the classroom, but Butch would not let her pass. Carter's blood began to boil and he began to stomp over. Korin grabbed his shoulder.

"You watch your mouth, you disgusting pig." Amata sneered at an inaudible comment Butch made.

"Carefully, Carter. I know you're strong, but please, _keep a level head_."

Carter looked back at her. "No problem, sis'. I got this."

Amata glanced over briefly and saw Carter walking over in a rage. She looked at Butch and smiled internally. _Somebody's about to get their asses beat._

"What's going on, here?" Carter's shadow fell on the group. Butch turned, obviously annoyed, and saw the _last_ person he wanted to see.

"Just havin' a little fun ova' here with Amata. Why don't you run along 'n take that stupid GOAT, egghead."

Korin was standing a safe distance away. Something as simple as 'egghead' wasn't enough to tip her brother's scales.

"Amata. Is Butch bothering you?" Carter cracked his knuckles.

"Ooh, big guy crackin' his knuckles! _I'm fuckin' shakin' in my boots_." The Tunnel Snakes laughed.

"Yes, Carter, Butch _is_ bothering me."

"Then he'd better fucking _stop,_ before I punch that smirk right off his goddamn face!" Carter said, getting up in Butch's face.

"Get outa' my face, _Carter._ " Butch got closer, too. Tensions were running high.

" _Sure thing_ …" Carter smiled, then head-butted Butch right in his face. This time, Carter _did_ break Butch's nose. Butch fell back, grabbing his nose and trying to block the fountain of red that was now pouring out of it.

His voice distinctly nasal, Butch growled. "Get that son 'uva bitch!" The Tunnel Snakes put up their fists, ready to duke it out. Carter realized now why his sister was worried – three on one. The odds were not in his favor. He dodged an upper-cut from Wally and barely managed to keep his footing when Freddie tried to trip him. Korin pulled Amata away from the fight, watching in anticipation. Butch was too busy tending to his nose to join in, but he kept yelling obscenities at Carter and the two girls.

Carter managed to land a punch on Paul, and he toppled over backwards onto the hard concrete floor. Wally and Freddie kept at him, trying to trip him up. Carter was doing well, until he backed himself into a corner. The Two Tunnel Snakes easily subdued him, and held onto his arms as Butch stepped over an unconscious Paul. "I am going to _fucking_ _make_ you respect me, ya insignificant twit." Butch punched Carter in the gut. He doubled over with a groan.

"Butch stop!" Yelled Amata, but he didn't care. He continued to punch Carter some more.

" _Butch._ "

This voice stopped him, as he heard Korin call his name behind him. She smiled at him.

"If you do not stop beating the shit out of my brother," she flashed the knife she had received on their tenth birthday, and her expression went cold as she stared him down, " _I will carve his name so deep into your face your grandchildren will ask you over and over, 'Who's Carter, who's Carter?' and when you tell them the story of how I mutilated you, the shame of your hideous, deformed face will haunt you to your fucking grave._ Am I clear _?_ "

Butch stood up straight. The Tunnel Snakes' jaws dropped. No one but Carter had heard her speak like that, and even he steered clear when she channeled her 'dark side.' Butch and his goons hurried into the classroom.

"Jesus _Christ,_ boys! What the hell happened outside?" their teacher, Mr. Brotch, yelled as Butch entered.

"I tripped, teach'. Gonna go see the good doc after the GOAT."

" _Okay…_ "

"What the fuck did I tell you, Carter? Butch already had it out for us, and now he thinks I'm a psycho and he hates you more than ever."

"It was worth it…he was…ow… Bothering Amata. You gotta stand up to bullies…or…they won't stop pushing you…around."

"Well I'm glad you came to my rescue, Carter, but _Jesus_. He could have killed you. I guess they're just picking on me because my dad's the Overseer." Amata hugged Carter, who winced. "Oh. Oops. Sorry."

"That's probably not why they're bothering you, Amata." Carter said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away.

"Why else would they be?" Amata looked at him, confused. Korin quickly changed the subject to save her brother the awkwardness.

"He's a little more than a bully _now_ , Carter. We need to be more careful. He could have seriously hurt you…"

The two girls helped Carter into the room and sat him down at a desk, before taking their own seats. Mr. Brotch eyes them warily, aware that an 'incident' between the two sixteen year old boys had probably occurred. He stood up and read from a paper.

"Boys and girls, welcome to the G.O.A.T."

* * *

"Waste Management Specialist…?" Carter looked down at his teacher who was sitting at this desk.

"Yes. And a *specialist* no less! You did well; Go celebrate with your friends." Carter walked away and leaned against the wall as he waited for his sister.

"Now, let's see here, Ms. Korin…it says you're going to be a… cleric!"

"What!?" Korin almost screamed. She was _not_ cut out to be a religious leader.

"Easy, easy. Just messing with you. You're going into vault repairs."

"Oh thank you merciful God." Korin huffed under her breath and left the table to go with her brother. She turned to him. "Waste Management Specialist? Is that what _I think_ it is?"

"That and probably worse things." Carter groaned. "I'm going to get rid of shit for a living. Not just get rid of shit, _specialize in getting rid of shit._ "

Korin laughed. "It could be so much worse. You could've been a priest." She shuddered at the thought of her brother being a clergyman. "I can barely imagine you as a priest, and of what I can, it does not go well."

"Me either!" Carter laughed, but stopped. "Ow, it hurts to laugh."

The two walked home, laughing about their results the whole way home. Their father was still at the clinic, and they decided to wait until he got home to tell him the good news.

"Kids, I'm home! How was the G.O.A.T?"

"Great!" Korin's voice sounded from the living room. "I'll be repairing stuff around the Vault!"

"I'm going to be getting rid of human feces and trash FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"

James chuckled at his son. "And I'm sure you'll do it well, son!" He walked into the room where Korin sat, reading a book about lock picking. "I'm proud of you, honey."

Carter entered from his room in the back. "And I'm proud of you too, Carter, despite your…unlucky…job placement."

"To be fair, he wasn't really focusing on the test. He was in too much pain."

"Can it, Korin!"

"What are you two talking about?" James looked at his two kids with one eyebrow raised. Then he remembered the patient he had taken in just before closing up shop... "Oh. Tell me he didn't… Tell me it wasn't you who broke Butch's nose!" James fell onto the couch, his hands over his face. He let out a deep sigh. "At least tell me he deserved it?"

"Oh yes. He did." Korin remarked, not looking up from her book for even a minute.

James began to take a closer look at his son, and noticed he was stiff, like he didn't want to move. "How bad did he beat you, Carter?"

"Who said he beat me?" Carter backed up as his father got up from the couch and began to walk towards him.

"Carter. I can see you holding your stomach over there. Unzip the top half of your jumpsuit and let me see."

Sighing, Carter did as he was told, and James saw that his skin was beginning to bruise. "You'll live, but it's going to hurt." James scowled. "I keep telling you to avoid him, or try to make amends…anything that doesn't involve fighting. Four against one is terrible odds, and fighting like that is going to get you seriously hurt some day!"

"I did what I felt I had to. Isn't that what you always tell me? To stand up for what I believe in?"

"Things are different here, in this vault. You need to come up with a peaceful solution. Butch is not going to go away, and you cannot fight him every time he wrongs you or someone you love." James sighed. "As punishment for this afternoon, you are both to go to your rooms and stay there until tomorrow morning."

"Punishment? What'd I do to get punished?" Korin closed her book, saving her place with her index finger.

"You stood idly by as your brother broke another boy's nose. We're lucky Butch hasn't decided to press charges against Carter."

"He wouldn't dare. He's too much of a pussy to do that."

"Carter, language!" James hissed. "To your rooms, _now._ "

The twins stormed off into their rooms, Korin with the book still in her hands. James knew it wouldn't be much of a punishment for her, but Carter despised being cooped up.

James took a minute to sit back down on the couch. He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and looked upward. "Catherine, give me the strength to get through this." He whispered.

After a moment of silence, he got up, turned out the lights, and went to bed.

 **A/N: Hello! End of Chapter 1! :) This is my first crack at a fallout fanfiction, as well as my first story on here! I've started this story in the vault because I want you all to get a feel for the twin's personalities before they're thrown into the unforgiving D.C. Wasteland. Constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	2. Life in Vault 101

**A/N: Trigger warning for sexual assault. Begins after Korin's nightmare.**

"Hey, Korin. Wait! Wait up."

 _Oh God._ Korin walked faster, trying to avoid the impending social awkwardness that was Wally Mack trying to flirt with her. "Go away, Wally! I'm not interested."

"Aww, c'mon, doll. Hear me through!"

"I said _no_ , Wally! Go find some other person to bother."

"I'm tryin' t'have a real conversation here, quit shootin' me down!" Korin growled and turned around.

"How many times have I told you I'm not interested in anything you have to say? Wally, _I do not like you and I never will_."

"That's just mean, putting me down like that, doll face. I only want a date!" Wally said, still following her. "You owe me for stopping Butch from beating up your dumb brother!"

"I do NOT owe you ANYTHING, Wally! You should have stopped Butch because it was the right thing to do, _not because you thought it would make me like you_." Before he could protest, Korin walked through her family's door and closed it behind her.

As soon as Korin stepped through the door of their family's small 'apartment,' the anxiety and stress of the day began to melt off, although the encounter with Wally still hung around in her mind. She hadn't told Carter about Wally's advances yet, because she knew he would probably just get into another fight with him and the rest of the Tunnel Snakes.

She smiled and inhaled deeply, happy to have a moment of R&R away from everyone else. A note was attached to the wall by the door; It was from her dad, explaining that the lack of his presence was due to him conducting emergency surgery. She grabbed a book that was laying on the counter beneath the note, _Pugilism Illustrated_ , and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge. she sat down on the couch and opened the bottle, taking a long drink, then rested her head on the top of the couch and listened to the peaceful silence of their home.

Except, it wasn't silent. She could hear noises coming from one of the back bedrooms. She grabbed her knife and started to head back, straining to hear what might be going on. All she could hear was…giggling. Feminine giggling. She opened the door to Carter's room carefully.

What she saw didn't really shock her, but she could have lived without seeing.

"Oh God, Carter!" She backed out of the room, the image of Susie Mack's bare chest singed into her retinas. She had walked into the midst of an intense make-out session between her brother and one of the Tunnel Snake's younger sister. Wally's younger sister, to be exact.

'Jesus, Korin, could you knock first?" Carter was obviously flustered and embarrassed. Korin's interruption was definitely a mood-killer.

"I didn't know you were home! _If I had,_ I'd have given you two some SPACE!"

Susie opened the door and walked out, and, much to Korin's relief, was now fully clothed. "I'll catch ya later, sweet stuffs." She smiled, blowing Carter a kiss before the door closed behind her.

Carter came out of his room, his jumpsuit only half-way zipped up. "Sorry. I should have put a sock on the door or something."

Korin punched is shoulder. "Yes, yes you should have! It would have saved me from having Susie's knockers _permanently etched_ in the back of my eyelids."

Carter laughed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Ha! _Ha! Very funny._ " Korin glared at her brother, sarcasm dripping from her voice like venom. "You know I don't play for that team." The image of topless Susie crept back into her mind, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "I am going to beat you up in your sleep later tonight."

" _Just try me,_ sis'!" Carter growled playfully.

"No. I am _not_ wrestling with you. Last time my bruises didn't heal for weeks!"

"Aw Corn, you're no fun."

"Don't call me Coooorn! That is the weirdest possible nickname you could give anyone! _Ever!_ "

"Ha ha. Whatever you say, _Corn._ "

"Urrrghh! _That's it._ " Korin jumped on the couch and then on to her brother, putting her elbow around his neck.

"Hey! No fair." Carter tried to reach his sister, but she was a little bit smaller than him, and much more agile, so she easily evaded his hands. Carter tripped on the corner of the rug and fell. Korin pinned him down just as Amata walked in their front door.

"Hey… _guys_?"

"Amata! Help! _I've been pinned!_ " Carter called out sarcastically.

"Oh, you _two…_ " She rolled her eyes and smiled. The twins got up and gave her a big hug.

"So what's up?"

"Did I just see Susie Mack leave?"

"Maybe… why?"

"Because I just passed her and Wally, and Wally looked _pissed._ " Korin swallowed hard, remembering the encounter she had with him earlier. There was no way he wouldn't have seen his sister walk out of their room.

A devious smile crossed Carter's face. "Good."

" _Carter!_ " Korin looked at her brother, steam practically pouring from her ears. "The Tunnel Snakes…they're... It's not going to take much for Wally to convince them to come beat the shit out of you." She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "And my 'dark side' threats are starting to become ineffective."

"Not to mention they're untouchable. Officer Gomez was reprimanded last time he tried to arrest Butch. My father chewed him out. I, I think he may be protecting them, for some reason." Amata looked worried. Korin sat down on the couch, head in her hands.

"What reason would your dad have for protecting a gang of ruthless thugs?"

"Well, they do seem hell-bent on making our lives miserable. He probably enjoys that." Carter forced a laugh.

"Well, whatever the reason, they're going to retaliate. Wally's mad, and he won't stop 'til he's satisfied you've learned your lesson." Korin stood up. "There's not much we can do right now though. It's late and I have to get up early tomorrow for work. Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight Korin…" Carter's voice wavered, as he realized she was leaving him alone with Amata. A deafening silence fell after she left. "So, Amata…"

"Carter, it feels like you have been… avoiding me, for the past week. What's wrong?" Amata asked in a concerned voice.

"Oh. Yeah. _That_. Well, I… uh… I haven't really – I – you didn't do anything wrong, I promise. I-I'm just trying to sort out a few… _things._ " He whispered the last word, but it was still loud enough or Amata to understand.

"Oh." She rubbed her hands nervously, then looked up into his eyes. "Do you like me, Carter? Well, I know you _like_ me but do you – do you have feelings for me?"

Carter almost panicked. Her question threw him off guard; He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. "I – I don't really know. It's…difficult for me to explain. You're my best friend, but, I feel like I want to be more than that. Not in a boyfriend kind of way, though. I don't really understand it, myself." Carter rubbed his neck. "I'm sorry. I must look like a broken up mess of a human being." He stared at his feet.

"Not at all, Carter. You just need to do some searching. The answers are out there, you just need to find them." She stretched up on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek. "And I'll be waiting to see what you find."

Her words made Carter feel warm inside. "Thanks, Amata."

* * *

 _Korin woke up and realized she was not in her bed, but walking through the halls. A strange force pulled her towards the main exit. She walked down the corridors of her home, aware of where she was going, but unable to stop. Her legs were not her own to control._

 _She followed the winding path until she found herself standing in front of the Vault's huge, cog-shaped door. The one thing protecting her and the rest of the vault dwellers from the complete and total destruction that was the inhospitable outside world. She moved towards a control board and watched as her hand outstretched, typed in a few keys, and pulled a lever. The great door began to creak as it pulled open. A door that hadn't opened in 200 years, which no one thought could even open at all, had in fact opened. Korin felt herself moving towards the opening, and tried desperately to stop. Her feet ignored her and soon she found herself outside the Vault._

 _It was dry and hot, much like the deserts of the pre-war era, and it smelled of salt and dirt. Korin held her hand to her face, trying to block out some of the sun. Where the colors of the vault were all a swirling mix of cool greys, the outside world was all warm. Oranges, yellows and browns surrounded her, making sharp edges and lines. She smiled at the warm, dry air that hit her face._

 _When she heard screaming, the smile faded. Up a dirt path and a ways to her left, she saw four familiar shapes in the dust. As she ran closer, she knew exactly who they were: the Tunnel Snakes. A fifth person stood at the edge of the cliff, and they were all focused on him. She stopped right behind the gang and watched in horror as her brother Carter tried to fight his way away from the edge. Wally tripped him, and he fell face-first into the dust. The Tunnel Snakes proceeded to kick him as he lay there. Korin's feet were frozen in place. Try as she might, it was no use. She could not help her brother._

 _Wally's head turned around, as his body continued to kick Carter. "This could have been avoided if you had just listened to me! All I wanted was one, measly date."_

 _"This is all your fault, Korin." Carter coughed, still getting kicked. His eyes stare into hers, and his glare felt like daggers in her skull._

 _Wally picked Carter up by his neck and held him over the cliff's edge. Carter didn't scream. He only stared at her as Wally let go, and he fell out of sight. Korin screamed, but no sound escaped her lips. The Tunnel Snakes laughed cruelly before turning their attention to her. Butch and Freddie held onto Korins arms as Wally walked closer to her. He repeated the same words over and over as the gap between them shortened._

 _"PROCREATION IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY."_

 _A loud noise erupted from the canyon, and a mushroom cloud formed. A wave of blinding light engulfed them._

* * *

"Korin." Carter barely avoided a kick to the nose from his sister as she sat up. She was covered in sweat and shivering. "Jesus Christ don't try to kill me!"

"Carter?" Korin looked over to see her brother sitting at the edge of her bed.

"Are you okay? You screamed my name and then you wouldn't stop sobbing. What the heck happened?"

"Just had a bad dream, is all." Korin pushed her short blonde hair out of her face. "What time is it?"

"Four am." Carter looked at his Pip-Boy. "When do you go to work?"

"Seven." She stretched. "I doooonnnn't think I'll be able to go back to sleep, plus I feel super gross. I think I'm going to go take a shower."

"Do you want me to go with you, wait outside?"

"No it's fine. I doubt the goons are up this early. But, if I do take longer than half an hour, come get me or send Amata. I don't want to be late for work."

"Will do." Carter did a quick fake-salute and left the room. Korin grabbed a towel, a hairbrush and a clean jumpsuit. She tiptoed out of their apartment and down the hall towards the women's lavatory. The halls were eerily quiet, but it wasn't unusual; With only around fifty residents, Vault 101 was almost always quiet, even during the day.

It had never really occurred to her that they really had no idea what time of day it actually was. No one had been outside the Vault in 200 years. None of them had even seen the sun.

The lavatory was empty, just as she had hoped it would be. She undressed quickly and jumped into the stall. The water was ice cold at first, and she cringed as it fell through her hair and down her back. She washed quickly, just rinsing off the sweat from her horrible dream. The water warmed up, and she stood underneath the showerhead, trying to rinse away the emotions the dream had left her with, as well as the anxiety and stress of the situation Carter had created by snogging with Susie. She shuddered to think what Wally would do if Carter and Susie had fucked.

Her shower only went on for five minutes. After shutting off the water, she grabbed the towel and dried off, put on a tank top and a fresh pair of shorts, and started to brush out and dry her hair. She hummed quietly to drown out the silence, which was starting to concern her. She looked in the mirror and saw a familiar set of words.

" _PROCREATION IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY._ "

 _Procreation._ Korin scoffed. As far as she was concerned, she could live a full life without sex of any kind. In fact, the whole idea of sex was alien and eluded her. The signs in the Vault only existed to make her feel outlandish in her home.

But reading the sentence in her head brought back images of Wally's face, and him saying it _over and over_ to her in her dream. She shut her eyes tight, trying to wipe the feeling from her mind. When she opened them again, the message had already changed.

" _Vault security officers are here for your protection!_ "

Korin gathered her things and began to leave when she heard footsteps approaching, followed by faint laughter. She quickly ducked into a bathroom stall and put her bare feet up on the seat. The laughter turned into voices as it neared her location. She prayed it wasn't the Tunnel Snakes.

"Hey, I ain't seen the inside of the girl's bathroom before." Butch declared in a mischievous tone. " _Let's go check it out…_ "

 _Fuck me_ , Korin cursed. It had already been twenty minutes since she left the apartment. If they didn't leave by then Carter would come looking for her, see them, and start a fight right then and there.

"Hey Wally! I heard your sister was mackin' on the Autry boy. What're we gonna do to 'em?" Freddie Gomez spoke, and his voice was closer than Butch's. Korin held her hand over her mouth to keep herself from making any noises.

"That _prick!_ I'm gonna mack on _his_ sister some. We'll see how _he_ likes it."

Korin looked down at her things, which sat safely in her lap. She realized, with horror, that she _had left her knife at home._

"Hey! The floor's wet in here." Paul pointed to the puddle on the floor. He bent down, touching it. "Still kinda warm, too; Someone's been in here recently."

"Come out, come out, _little kitty._ " Butch's tone sent shivers up Korin's spine, and she held in a gag.

"I guess who ever it was left before we got in here. Come on boys, let's get out of here." Korin let out a silent breath of relief as she heard the Tunnel Snakes noisily march out. She stepped into her clean jumpsuit and zipped it up to her waist, letting the top hang open. She waited another five minutes before heading out of the bathroom. She rounded the corner, and found herself face-to-face with Wally.

" _Hey, Korin. Fancy meetin' you here._ "

 _Oh, shit._ Korin tried to back away, but bumped into Butch. _Oh fucking shit._

"Where you goin', doll face?"

" _Leave me alone_ , Wally."

"Bitch, you're not in a position to be callin' the shots." Wally grabbed her by her wrists. " _I'm callin' the shots._ " He threw her against the wall and pinned her against it. Wally was a foot taller and thirty-five pounds heavier than her. She struggled to escape, but couldn't.

" _Don't you fucking touch me._ " She hissed.

"I like 'em a little feisty." Wally laughed. He grabbed a hold of Korin's face with one hand and kissed her. She tried to pull away but his grip was strong and got tighter as she struggled. She began to panic, and rushed trying to think of a plan to get him off of her. She came up with one, but it was vile and she wanted to avoid it at all costs, and she was quickly running out of options.

She choked down her hesitation and began to kiss Wally back. It surprised him, but he went along with it. After a moment he let go of her wrists and placed his hands on her sides. She waited for the opportune moment to strike.

When Wally decided to slip his tongue in her mouth, she made her move. Korin bit down hard on his tongue. Wally backed off immediately and jumped away. "You lithle fucking bith! Sthe fucking bith me!" Wally's tongue was beginning to swell, and it gave him a severe lisp.

Korin tasted blood in her mouth and spat. " _I fucking told you_ not to touch me."

Wally raised his fist and punched her in the face. If she hadn't already been against a wall, the punch would have knocked her over.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Korin looked up to see Carter standing just down the hall, looking angrier than ever. She smiled.

"None of your motherfuckin' business, pussy." Butch glared

"It is too my fucking business! That's my sister. Automatically makes this 'my business.'" Carter looked at his sister. "Korin. Scale of 1 to kill 'em, how bad do I need to beat their asses?"

"8."

"Fuck' 'em up it is." Carter threw the first punch, and it hit Wally in the jaw. He stumbled backwards into Freddie and they fell over. Butch drew a knife and rushed Carter, who barely dodged. Butch jabbed at him with the knife and managed to cut Carter across his arm. The cut began to bleed but Carter paid no attention. He grabbed Butch's wrist and twisted until he heard a loud snap and Butch dropped the blade.

"You broke my fuckin' wrist!"

Carter kicked the knife to Korin, who picked it up and brandished it in front of the other Tunnel Snakes. Wally got up off the floor and tried to punch Carter. He grabbed Wally's fist and squeezed. Wally cried out and fell to his knees.

"Stand down!" Officers Gomez and Mack held up their guns, pointing them at Carter. He let go of Wally's fist. "You're under arrest." Carter froze.

"Fuck."

* * *

"I demand to see my brother!"

"Korin, lower your voice." The Overseer sad at his desk, calmly drinking a mug of hot coffee. "Carter is being held until we can hold a trial."

"What have you charged him with?"

"Assault, disturbing the peace, and unauthorized possession of a weapon."

" _Bullshit._ That knife belongs to Butch DeLoria, not Carter!" Korin yelled. The Overseer set his coffee down and stood up.

"Do _not_ raise your voice at me, Ms. Autry, or I will have you thrown in jail with your brother!" He sat down calmly. "I understand your concern for his well-being, and I can assure you that he will be perfectly safe." He grabbed a stack of papers and aligned them neatly, then put them back down. "Now, you look very tired. I suggest you go home and get some rest; You can visit him later this evening."

"No, I-"

"Officer Gomez, please escort Korin Autry back to her apartment." The Overseer avoided her glare as Gomez put his arm around her shoulder and began to gently push her out the door. Once they were far enough away from the Overseer's office, he spoke.

"I'm sorry about your brother, kid, but he assaulted Wally, Butch, and Freddie." Gomez lingered on the last name. It was hard for him to believe his son would do anything to deserve what Carter did.

" _He was protecting me._ " Korin whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"What?"

" _He was only protecting me!_ " She screamed at him. "Wally and all of them _attacked me_ outside the women's bathrooms! Carter came to help _me_!" She was full-on crying and sobbing now, the gravity of the whole situation crashing down on her. "Butch pulled out a knife and _cut him!_ _AND CARTER"S THE ONE IN A CELL?! DO YOU THINK THAT'S FUCKING JUSTICE?! NO IT'S FUCKING NOT!_ " She shoved the security officer away and ran towards home.

"I…guess I'll tell Stanley you're not coming into work today." Officer Gomez called out behind her. She ignored him and kept running. She had to find their father. He would fix this mess, no problem. He would work this out.

"Dad!" She yelled for him as soon as she walked in the front door. "Dad!?"

She saw a note in the usual place and ran to it.

 _Love you._

"Love you?" Korin looked at the note again. 'Love you' was all it said. On the table below it, the photo from their tenth birthday was laying out. She picked it up and smiled briefly, flipping it over. Scrawled in their father's awful handwriting was the date, and 'Happier Times.' _Happier times indeed_ , she thought, putting the photo down. She searched the whole apartment but could not find their father. "I guess he went to work." Korin went over to the couch and sat on it. Realizing just how tired she was, she laid down and pulled her knees up to her chest. _I'll just take a little nap, then go see Carter later._

* * *

"Korin! _Korin_ wake up!"

"Amata?"

"Korin you need to wake up right now!" Amata shook her awake, her expression filled with panic and fear. "My father's men are looking for you! They… they killed Jonas!"

"What." Korin sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the exhaustion muddying her thought process. "Jonas? Jonas is dead?"

"Your father left the vault, Korin. They were questioning Jonas, and Chief Hannon _beat him to death!_ Now they are looking for you!"

Korin jumped off the couch. "Oh. OH. Oh fuck!" She grabbed her head and began to panic. "Dad's gone? Jonas is dead? Carter's in jail… What do I do?!"

"Take this." Amata handed her a single, lackluster metal key. "It's the key to the cell they put Carter in. Break him out, then break out of the vault."

" _Break out of the vault?_ " Korin gaped at her. "How the fuck am I supposed to open a vault that's been sealed for 200 plus years?"

"Haven't you been listening to me? Your dad _left the vault_. If he can do it, _so can you._ Go to my dad's office; He has a secret tunnel you can use to get there safer. You need to get going now! It won't be long before they come looking for you here." Amata grabbed a pistol from the inside of the front of her jumpsuit. "Take this, just in case. I have to go try to stop my father…I'll meet you at the door if I can. _Don't wait for me_."

"Thank you, Amata." As she left, Korin immediately prioritized the items in their apartment. She grabbed the BB gun first, attaching the strap and wearing it on her back. She grabbed the knife, strapping the holster to her leg. She kept the key and the 10mm pistol out, but ran to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water and shoved them in the front of her jumpsuit too. The last things she grabbed were the note their father left and the picture. She was out the door and around the corner before the guards arrived.

There were guards down the hallway towards the security area. They took notice of her, realized just who she was, and began to yell at her. She ignored them and kept running. Before they could fire at her, radroaches appeared and attacked them. She ignored their cries for help.

"Korin! Korin ya gotta help me! My mom's under attack by radroaches!" Butch jumped out in front of her, panicked and desperate. His eyes showed genuine fear.

"Fuck your mom, Butch, and fuck you. You have done nothing but hurt me and my brother. Why should I help you when you've never done a damn thing for me?" Butch's face went blank. Korin could have sworn his face went paler. She passed him, only taking a glance at the realization on his face. _He_ would have to decide whether he had the courage to save her.

She reached the security area a few minutes later. Quietly, she snuck up to the door and turned the handle. The door opened slowly, and she walked inside. She could see the door to carter's cell, and the viewing window was blocked by curtains.

"Who's there?"

Korin froze. There was one security officer sitting at the desk, watching the cell door. He turned in the swivel chair.

"Korin?" It was Officer Gomez. "Korin what are you doing here?"

"I've c-come for my brother. I'm getting him out of here, and we're n-never c-c-coming back." She stuttered, worried he would turn her in.

"Good."

"What?"

"Get him out of here, Korin. It isn't safe for you two here anymore. It never was." He handed her three stimpacks and a canister of 10mm bullets. "Hit me over the head with your pistol."

" _What?_ "

"Hit me over the head, and do it hard, so it looks like I tried to stop you." He took off his helmet and set it on the desk. Korin took a deep breath and hit him with the pistol's handle. He crumpled to the floor. Korin grabbed her key and opened the cell.

Carter was lying face first on a cot. At first she panicked, thinking he was dead. "Carter?!" She rushed over to him and checked for a pulse. She found one, and tried to flip him over. He groaned.

"Gooo awaaay."

"Carter, it's me, Korin. We need to leave the vault now. I can't pick you up, you need to help me."

"I don't know…where he is. Why don't you…just look in the clinic. I'm sure he's…there… somewhere." Carter was obviously not awake, or at the very least, not in reality. She got up close to him and whispered in his ear.

"Carter, Amata's here to see you."

He barely reacted, and it shocked Korin. She jumped to Plan B.

"CARTER! GET UP NOOOW!" She yelled in his ear.

"Jesus Christ! I'm up, I'm up!" He tried to push himself off of the cot and only half succeeded. "Ow." He looked over at her. His face was bruised, but most of the pain seemed to stem from his chest and stomach. "You have no idea how…happy I am to see you." He sucked in air, tensing up. "Urrrgghh…everything _hurts_."

"Come on. We need to go."

"Go home?"

"No. We're leaving the vault." Korin pulled his arm around her shoulders to help him walk. His legs seemed unscathed, but the pain was making walking hard. They hurried out of security past an unconscious Officer Gomez. Korin stopped and closed the door behind them.

"Why'd you do that?"

"He helped me. Helped us. The radroaches would get him if I didn't close the door." Korin said with an emotionless expression. "I'm making it even." They continued on.

* * *

The twins passed many bodies of people they knew. None of those prepared them to see Jonas' body.

"Jonas…" Korin kneeled down to get a closer look. He was lying in a pool of his own blood and his eyes just stared through her. She closed his eyelids. In his hand was a tape, labeled ' _For Korin and Carter._ ' She picked it up and pushed the tape into her Pip-Boy. It started playing, and their father's voice spoke to them. He was telling them to stay in the vault and not to follow. Korin began to tear up. They couldn't stay. Not now.

"So Dad really is gone." Carter wiped a tear from his cheek. Koring took the tape out of her Pip- Boy and into her pocket.

"Yeah." She sniffled. They left Jonas behind and continued through the room.

They traveled silently and as quickly as possible. Carter had picked up speed now and they were making good time when they heard a familiar voice yelling.

'I'm not going to tell you a damn thing!"

"Amata, be reasonable!"

Carter took the 10mm from Korin's hand and shuffled towards the source of the yelling. He saw Amata sitting in a chair, confronted by her father and Officer Mack. Carter forced the door open and put a bullet in the back of Officer Mack's head, dropping him. Amata took a chance and ran from the room before her father could grab her. Carter pointed the gun at the Overseer too, but had no intention to shoot his friend's father. The Overseer ran at the sight of the gun.

Korin entered the room and her jaw dropped at the sight of Wally's father lying dead on the floor. She followed Carter to the room Amata had run into.

"Thank you, Carter! I don't know what they were going to do to me…Thank you. I'll meet you two at the exit." Amata was practically in tears as she hugged him and ran off. Carter left the rooms and continued towards the Overseer's office.

* * *

"The terminal is password protected. Look around; Maybe he left a note with the password on it." Korin moved away from the terminal and began to search the desk. Carter was leaning on another desk off to the side of the room when he saw a locker. He slowly stumbled towards it.

The locker opened, and inside Carter found more stimpacks, some Mentats, a slip of paper and a recent photo of Amata. He took the photo and the rest of the contents. He unfolded the slip of paper, and only one word was written on it, in light pencil; _Amata._

"The password is Amata."

"Of course it is." Korin held her hand over her eyes and shook her head. "Should have known. He's the only person in this vault who loves her more than you do." Carter gave her a dirty look. " _You know what I meant._ " She entered the password and found the command to open the secret tunnel, as well as a few documents. She hit the command, and began downloading the other files to look at later. "Paydirt. Let's get the fuck out of here." They watched as the desk lifted and revealed a hidden staircase. Korin helped Carter down the stairs. He was still visibly shaken from killing Officer Mack. The tunnel was short and cut several minutes off of their journey.

* * *

The twins stared up at the huge door. They felt so small, standing in front of it. It was intimidating, looking at the only thing that had stood between them and the certain death they had been taught waited for them. And now they were about to open it. Korin walked over to the controls and pressed a few buttons. A siren wailed and lights flashed, and the door began to scream as metal ground against metal.

"Oh my God…you…you actually opened it."

The twins turned to see Amata standing behind them, looking at the door just as they had been two seconds before.

"Come with us, Amata." Carter held out his hand to her. She looked at him with much sadness in her eyes.

"I can't…I'm needed here." Amata replied, beginning to cry. Carter did too. Amata grabbed him by the face and kissed him roughly. "One for the road…" She smiled, wiping some of his tears away with her thumbs. They leaned towards each other and touched foreheads.

"I'll miss you."

Korin ran up and hugged Amata, crying now too. "Take care of yourself."

"Take care of each other."

Security officers busted through one of the doors and began to run at the twins. The door was open all the way now, and Carter and Korin made a run for it.


	3. Into the Wild Wastes

The door closed behind the twins, again making a horrible screech. They were on their own now. Korin stepped forward and nearly tripped. "What the…" She looked down, and found her boot was caught in a blackened skeleton. She nearly screamed. Carter cupped his hands over his ears.

"Jesus Christ, Korin! Hold still…" Carter helped her free her foot from an old, frail ribcage. "Well, we're not a pile of radioactive dust. That's a good sign, right?"

Korin shook her head and began to walk towards a door at the end of the cave. Light poured through the cracks, and suddenly she was reminded of the dream she had earlier that morning. She stopped, turned, and looked at the door again. That was when she took notice of the camera above the door, which was trained on them. Anger welled up inside of her and she held up both of her middle fingers. "Thanks for nothing, motherfuckers!" She yelled, trying to contain her tears. Carter limped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We can't stay here, sis'." He gestured towards the door. "Shall we?" She nodded.

Carter pushed the door open, and immediately the two were blinded. "Holy fuck. Ow, that really hurt." A blast of hot, dry air hit their faces. Korin thanked herself for remembering to bring water.

As their eyes adjusted, the world they had been thrust into came into view. It looked like a desert, three years into a drought. Endless grey and brown expanded before them, and Korin couldn't believe her eyes. It was nothing like the vault. Everything out here seemed to go on for ever.

She wondered if maybe she had brought _enough_ water.

Carter rolled up his sleeves. Korin took the BB gun from her back and handed it to Carter.

"Just in case." Carter nodded, slinging the gun over his shoulder.

"Hey, can you see that?" Carter pointed out in front of them, towards a large metal construction in the distance. He helped Korin up onto a rock so she could get a better view.

"Yeah. Looks like a…building, maybe?"

"It _looks_ close. We should head that way; If there's no one there we could still use it for shelter."

"And if there are people?"

"Let's just hope they're friendly."

* * *

"Holy shit." Carter and Korin stopped dead in their tracks, looking over the city. Built entirely out of scrap metal with at least three different levels, and built around a giant undetonated nuclear bomb. Korin could barely breathe; She was so nervous and excited. Nothing in the vault was ever this big, or this cool. She almost didn't notice Carter was already halfway to the bomb in the center of town.

"Carter! Wait!" She ran to catch up to him. "What are you doing?"

"Disarming the bomb."

"Disarming the…WHAT!?" Korin grabbed his arm. "That is a bad idea! Bad bad baaaad idea!" She tugged, able to stop him. "We don't know jack about this town or the people who live here. For all we know, they could _worship_ the damn thing!"

"Some of us do." Korin and Carter froze upon hearing a masculine voice chuckle behind them. They turned to see a black man in a hat and coat, with a silver star pinned to him. He looked them over. "You two must be from that vault, Vault 101. Haven't seen anybody come from up there in a while."

"I'm sorry, Mr.…"

"Simms. Lucas Simms. I'm the sheriff, mayor, and just about anything else the town needs me to be."

"What's with the bomb?" Carter asked timidly.

"That bomb's been here longer than I can remember. Don't you worry about it none, it won't go off."

"Don't worry? It's still activated! If someone wanted to, they could blow up the entire town just by tampering with it."

The sheriff shot them both a horrified look. "My God, you're right."

"Let us disarm it." Carter's tone told the man he was dead serious.

"Alright. I'm watching you though; If I suspect you have bad intent I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your heads. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

Carter painfully marched down to the bomb, ignoring the stares he was receiving from the townsfolk. Korin shuffled close behind, much more aware of the stares. Lucas Simms walked just behind them, walking tall and nodding, letting everyone know the two kids were with him. The twins stepped gingerly into the water surrounding the bomb. Their Pip-Boys began to click, warning them of the radiation in the water. He stopped a bit further away and watched as Carter opened a panel on the bomb.

"You know making fireworks and smoke bombs in the vault doesn't really qualify you to disarm a _nuclear missile_ , right?" Korin whispered.

"I know enough about it that I'm 88% positive I won't blow us all to Hell." He took Korin's knife and carefully assessed the situation before reaching to cut one of the colored wires.

"Cut the red one."

"What?" The blade of the knife was just millimeters from cutting the green wire.

"Cut the red one, idiot, before you blow us all up!" Korin scowled.

Carter cut the red wire. The bomb wound down, and the quiet humming of the power source went silent. "Well." He looked up at her, flustered. "That could have gone badly." Korin rolled her eyes, shaking her head. They moved out of the irradiated water and back up to where the sheriff was waiting with a big smile on his face.

* * *

The twins walked into their new house, a gift from Simms after their successful attempt to disarm the bomb. They also had 100 bottle caps, which they were surprised to learn was currency.

"Oh, _no way._ " Korin laughed. "We have a robo-butler."

"Welcome home! I am Wadsworth, your personal robotic butler. May I offer you a drink?"

"Wow, such manners. Yes, please." Korin giggled as the Mr. Handy gave her two bottles of purified water.

"Tell us a joke." Carter leaned against the wall with a smirk on his face.

"Two atoms are in a bar. One says, 'I think I lost an electron.' The other says, 'Are you sure?' To which the other replies, 'I'm positive.'" Wadsworth chuckled to himself. Carter started to laugh hysterically.

"I'm positive… _oh my God_ that was awful." Carter groaned and held his stomach. "Ah. Ow. It hurts to laugh."

"Wadsworth, is there a doctor in town?" Korin asked the robot as she checked her brother. She had given him one of the stimpacks before they began the arduous walk to town and it had helped some, but he was still in pain and hardly able to stand.

"Yes. Doc Church is just down the path you came into town on."

"Thanks." Korin and Carter left their house and walked to the clinic. When they entered the door, a very grumpy black man growled out a greeting. Upon seeing Carter, he walked over.

"Off with the jumpsuit. Sit down in that chair, now."Korin helped Carter unzip the jumpsuit and he sat down in his boxers.

"I'm Doc Church and I run this clinic. Now, before I help you, you'd better know the rules. Rule one: don't bother me." The twins nodded. "What fresh hell did you two walk out of?"

"Vault 101." Korin replied.

"The Vault? Damn, do they beat you in there or something?"

"Not usually. Carter was in jail for fighting before we fled."

"Actually…" Carter coughed, "it wasn't just Butch who did a number on me. They didn't believe me when I told them I didn't know where Dad went." He looked away. "I'm lucky you came and got me when you did."

Doc Church grabbed another syringe and injected it into Carter's arm.

"What was that?"

"Med-X, for the pain." Church began to feel around Carter's ribs and stomach, looking for signs of serious injury. Carter tensed up as he felt his ribs. "Feels like you might have a couple of cracked ribs. You'll have to stay in town for a while until it heals some. The cut on your arm isn't life threatening, but I'm going to clean it and stitch it up." He turned to Korin. "50 caps should cover it."

Korin handed him half the caps, and Doc Church handed her a syringe of Med-X.

"Use this only if he's in severe pain; it's addictive. Try to keep him in bed."

"Yes sir."

"Alright. Get dressed and on out of here, now." Korin helped her brother into his vault suit and out the door. They walked back to their house in silence. Wadsworth greeted them cheerfully as they entered.

"Good morning! Back from the doctor, I see. I trust it went well?" The twins ignored him as they headed for the bedroom. The robot grumbled under his breath.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me they interrogated you."

"It doesn't matter now. I took care of the problem."

"You… when you shot Officer Mack."

"Yeah."

They walked up the stairs in silence. In the bedroom, Korin helped Carter lay down on the mattress. "There's only one bed."

"We can share if need be, Korin."

"I'm sure someone in town could find us a spare. But for the time being, we'll have to."

Korin's stomach growled. "I can't remember the last time I ate."

"I can't either. Maybe there's some food in the house?" Carter went to sit up but Korin held him down.

"There's a fridge downstairs, dork. Stay here, I'll go check it out." She left the room and climbed down the stairs. "Wadsworth, what do we have to eat?"

"There are some foodstuffs in the refrigerator, madam. I believe we have Salisbury steak, iguana on a stick, and some Dandy Boy Apples."

"Is it safe to eat?"

"It is slightly irradiated, but yes, it is safe to consume."

"Thanks, Wadsworth." Korin smiled warmly at the robot, before turning the corner into the kitchen. The fridge felt cool, but not cold like the one back in their apartment at Vault 101. She opened the door and grabbed the apples and the iguana, then headed back up to Carter.

"So, are you feeling adventurous?"

"Why…"

"Because you can either eat some iguana-on-a-stick or some 200-year-old apples for dinner."

"Jesus Christ, that's… that really doesn't sound very appetizing."

"Just pick one."

Carter mulled over the decision for a moment. "I guess I'll take the iguana." Korin helped him sit up before handing him the iguana and an opened bottle of purified water. She opened the box of Dandy Boy Apples and found they were still sealed in the original plastic. She opened that, and pulled out a piece of apple.

"First bite together?" Carter asked nervously, eyeing his food.

"Sure." They both ate their first bites at the same time. Carter grimaced, but relaxed.

"Okay, so that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. How are the apples?"

Korin had already eaten another bite. "Pretty good for being 200 years past their expiration date."

After eating her fill, Korin stood up. "I'm going to ask around about Dad." Carter begins to swing his legs over the side of the mattress but she stops him. "No. You get to stay here. You're on bed rest, _remember_?" Carter pouted.

" _Bed rest…stupid._ " He muttered under his breath, laying back down and getting comfortable again. "Okay, fine. Tell me what you find out." She left the room and he yelled after her. "Oh, and bring me some beer or something!" Korin rolled her eyes and turned to their butler.

"Wadsworth, do not let him out of this house. He needs to rest."

"Yes, madam!" The Mr. Handy chirped happily. She walked through the front door and found that the sun was just peeking over the horizon. She walked down past the Brass Lantern and up a railing leading to one of the higher levels. The saloon was right across from her, a couple of levels up. It took her half an hour to find her way to the door.

She opened it gingerly and stepped inside. The bar felt empty. At first glance, she saw a man banging on a radio and cursing. Looking again, she saw that he didn't look human. He didn't look human at all – more like a nightmare that crawled out of its grave to seek revenge against those who put him there. The sight was enough to freeze her in front of the doorway.

"I told you Gob, it's not the radio. Their signal has been shit for the past couple of days." A woman commented, then turned to walk away. She spotted Korin first. "Hey there, hon. Welcome to Moriarty's." The woman's voice was like velvet, and Korin relaxed.

"I-I'm looking for my f-father." The words stumbled out of her mouth. "Early forties, dark brown and grey hair. Have you seen him?"

The woman thought for a moment. "I might have. Talk to Colin Moriarty. He probably knows more."

Korin sighed and took a seat on one of the bar stools. She closed her eyes. The bartender stood in front of her. "Can I get you something to drink?" His voice was like sandpaper on her ears. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at him.

" _Jesus fucking Christ!_ " She hissed. "What are you?"

"What, you never seen a ghoul before?"

"N-no." Korin replied nervously. "What's a ghoul?"

"I got too much radiation. Instead of me dying, my skin started to flake off."

Korin took a moment to look harder. She could see blood vessels and muscles, but they were covered by some kind of clear layer of skin. His eyes, which were glazed over slightly, still looked human. She could see the tiredness behind them. "You know," she said, putting her hands around one of his in apology, "It's not really all that bad." She smiled before letting go of his hand.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, kid." Gob picked up a glass and began to clean it. "Can I get ya anything, smooth-skin?"

"Just a beer for the road."

"Sure thing." Gob handed her a bottle and she handed him the caps. A man with greying hair walked out of the back room, and judging by the way Gob tensed up when he passed, Korin knew this man was Moriarty. She got up from the barstool and approached him.

"Excuse me…" Moriarty noticed her walking up and smiled at her.

"Colin Moriarty, at your service! Welcome to Moriarty's! My saloon, my home, my little slice of heaven in this godforsaken little town! If you've got the caps, I've got your pleasure. Please, sit down, make yourself comfortable! Your troubles are a thing of the past."

"I'm looking for my father. Middle-aged man, dark brown-greying hair. Have you seen him?"

"My God... It's you. The little baby girl, all grown up. Persistent little flower, ain't ya? Then and now, it would seem. It's been a long time, kid. Say, where's that brother of yours? Didn't up an' kick the bucket, did he?"

"You… know me? How? I was born in Vault 101." Moriarty's words hit Korin in the face like a brick wall. She studied his face, looking for any signs of deception. "Dad told us we were born in the vault…"

"Is that what your father told you? That you were born in that hole? That HE was born there as well? Oh, the lies we tell to those we love. Your father brought you to the Vault right after you were born. To keep you safe, you see. I remember it well you stayed in my saloon, after all. That's right. Your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about your mom. Truly. But, life goes on. Daddy lied. Life's full of little disappointments. And now... you're all grown up, and wondering where he's gone to. Could be I know where, and why..."

"So you do know where my father went… Tell me." Her tone was almost demanding. Moriarty smiled at her, and she could see the ill intent he hid behind his crooked, yellowed teeth.

"I do, I do. You seem like a nice kid, so I'm going to be straight with you. Your dad was here, and now he's not, and yes I know where he went. But what you're asking me for is information, and information is a commodity. Let's say... 100 caps, and daddy's location is yours. Very reasonable."

Korin's hand wandered to the small bag she kept the caps in. They didn't even have half that amount. "I'll get your caps."

"Good to hear. Now, let me know if you need anything else." He brushed his fingers across her arm in a way that made her shudder, before walking back to his back room.

Nova walked over and sat down, motioning for Korin to sit next to her. "That old creep," she huffed under her breath, "Let me give you some advice, kid. Don't ever take up whoring for a man like that." Gob poured her a shot of vodka. "In fact, don't ever take up whoring at all, unless it's on your own terms." Korin watched Nova down the shot before standing up again. "That beer's getting warmer, kid. Gonna drink it?"

"Oh, it's not for me; It's for my brother. He's hurt and resting at home. I'll bring him up to meet you two sometime." She smiled, knowing he'd get along with both of them.

"Looking forward to it, hon." Nova winked.

Korin quickly said her goodbyes and walked back to the house in silence. She passed a couple of children who were playing, and an old couple bickering about something called the 'Enclave.' Korin paid them no attention. As she walked up the slope that their house was built off of, Korin noticed one of the water pipes leaking a small jet of water. She stopped to look at it, curious, before deciding to get Carter to try to fix it. She continued up the steep slope and walked in.

"I'm back!"

"Good to see you, madam. Mister Carter has been a burden in your absence… He would not listen to my orders to stay in bed, so I ended up…locking him in…the bedroom." Wadsworth seemed a bit ashamed of his actions, now that he was looking back on them.

Korin giggled. "Well, go unlock the door!" The robot hovered up the stairs quickly. She followed, suddenly feeling tired. Carter was sitting up on the mattress when she walked into the room. "Brought you something." She mumbled, tossing him the beer before climbing onto the mattress next to him.

"Thanks." Carter scooted over to give her some more room, but the mattress was still crowded. " _Can't believe the damn robot locked me in._ " Carter muttered under his breath. " _Was only going to go for a walk…_ " He drank from the bottle she tossed him, and smiled. "You did good, sis'. This is way better than that piss-water the Overseer kept in his fridge." He set the bottle aside and looked over at Korin, who was already asleep, arm slung over his stomach. He patted her head before drifting off too.

 _Carter was fighting alongside his sister in a place he didn't recognize. He couldn't see what they were fighting. The enemies looked like shadows, and acted like them, too. A third person fought with them, but Carter couldn't tell who it was. All he could hear was the distinct pops of guns firing. He turned back toward the things they were fighting and found the scene had changed. There was their father, sitting far away, facing away from them. Korin was screaming next to him, but as her mouth opened all that came out was white noise. He looked back at their father and he was gone. He looked over to Korin and she was gone too. Everything around him was white._

* * *

 _"Carter." A feminine voice soft and velvety emanated from behind him. He turned._

 _Behind him was a beautiful russet-skinned woman with golden curls and soft, jade-green eyes framed with soft wrinkles. He knew her, he was sure, but he had never seen her in his life…had he?_

 _She opened her arms to him. He wanted to let her embrace him in a hug. But he lingered back. The woman's face contorted into that of a hellish beast's. Her fingers became like talons as she let out a roar that let him paralyzed in fear. She ran at him, and just before her claws could strike him…_

* * *

Carter almost fell off the mattress. He inhaled sharply, immediately regretting the sudden movement. His ribs hurt, but he was relieved to find that the throbbing pain was short lived. He noticed Korin was not next to him, and panic spread through his body.

'Korin?" He yelled.

No response.

"Master Carter, are you okay? I heard a noise…" The Mr. Handy hovered into the bedroom, flame thrower at the ready.

"Yes Wadsworth, I'm fine. Just a bad dream, is all. Where is Korin?"

"Ah yes. Mistress Korin is on a supply run in town. She said she was going to look for some work as well, to help earn some caps to pay Moriarty. She has asked that I remind you that you are not to leave your bed."

"Who is Moriarty? And why does she owe him caps?" Carter strained to remember if she had mentioned a 'Moriarty' when she got home the previous night.

"I think that would be a question best saved for Mistress Korin, as I do not have the answers you need. I do however have a nice bottle of purified water, if you'd like a drink."

"I'd love one, thanks."

* * *

 **A/N: Haha, bet you guys thought I died, huh? Nope. Still kickin'. Life just gets in the way of things, and we end up spending two years writing Destiny fanfiction when we should be doing college homework. Sorry not sorry.  
**

 **I'm suddenly feeling in a posty mood, so I'll give ya this, and I might have the rest here soon. Don't despair. I haven't given up on the twins.**

 **P.S. Might just drop my New Vegas fanfiction here too. We'll see...**


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